Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-07-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.

state, attending the Clinton Centen
NAL and visiting his sister and brother
near the home of his youth, where hi
mind will revert to the halcyon day
OF childhood when his brightest dream
did not contemplate the Presidency O
the United States as a possibility O
his wonderful career.
The members of the Cabinet hav,
dabbled in real estate the past week
Secretaries Whitney and Fairchild-
the former selling Grassland" hi
fine country place, at clear profit O
about $75 900, but retaining a right O
lease of two or three years, and the lat
ter buying large double structure
built in the style of the old-fashionet
English residence and quite hand
somely finished, for which he paid $50,
600.
Postmaster General Villas, with As
sistant Attorney General Bryant, Wa.
engaged day or two this week in re
vising the postal laws and regulations
The present edition has not been re-
vised since 1879, and, of course, new
needs have arisen. The Postmaster
General has declined granting the
postal clerks of the sixth division the
privilege of holding a convention, one
object of which is to enable clerks to
make known their wants, and inform.
ing them that such meeting is unne.
cessary, as the clerks can make known
such suggestions as may occur to
them in the regular course of duty.
Partisan newspaper correspondents
at Washington persist in their story
that Harvey, the chief of division in
the Treasury, who swindled the Gov
ernment out of some $4,000 by his
forgeries is Democratic, when, as a
matter of fact Harvey himself declares,
that although he Mugwumped for
President Cleveland, he has been moth
ing but Republican, and that he is
still faithful to the ungrateful party
that would disown him. He confesses
both to forgery and Republicanism,
and as they are often united in one
person, / cannot doubt the truthful
ness of the two statements.
Another Patent Office scandal was
in the air the other day. 1t appears
that it has been the custom of one OF
the chiefs of division to borrow small
small sums of money from his subor.
dinates and neglect to repay them
Although the Chief claimed that he
was more sinned against than shining
in this respect, he was admonished
that such Republican practices would
not be permitted under Democratic
Administration, and was allowed to &C
in peace.
So far, this month, the Government,
receipts amount to $1O,693, ,567, and
disbursements, including nearly $12,
100000 for pensions, to SIS ,561 100
being an excess of expenditures of 81,
867 ,535. The circulation of standard
silver dollars has increased $788, ,O16
since July LIST. The demand for notes
of small denomination continues &C
large that the Treasury is not as YET
able to meet it; but an additional sup
ply of silver certificates has been or
dered from the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing, which will be issued al
soon as possible.
A number of old Democratic Union
soldiers in the different departments
here have become 80 indignant over
the taunts and insults heaped upon
the President by the Grand Army Of
the Republic, that they have deliber.
ately torn off their badges and de-
clare they will have no more to dc
with an organization run in the in
terest Of Republican demagogues and
partisans. commend their patriotic
action, at the same time expressing
the belief that unless the wild rawlings
of the Tuttles and Fairchilds are
silenced, the Grand Army of the Re
pnblic will lose half of its members.
The President expects to remove
Conger, the Extensively partisan Re-
publican postmaster of Washington
and give the place to a good Demo
crat. He is known to be considering
the name of a number of District
Democrats for the position, while the
Postmaster General is trying to pre-
vail upon the President to appoint
another Michigander. There is natu
rally very strong feeling here that
the Office should be given to Wash
ingtonian, as the Office is local, being
largely supported by District people
the Government mail bringing in nc
revenue at all.
As q result of the new city ordi
nances, there will not be so much bell
ringing on the streets Of the capital
An order has been issued prohibiting
the use OF bells upon the street carl
and also the public ringing of fire
alarm bells. The latter is done te
prevent the gathering of idle and Gu
rious crowds around fires to the hind
rance of fremen in fighting the
flames.
The National Archery Association
is now in session in this city, and at
tracts much attention from those whG